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Ralph’s retirement ramblings: A time to quilt

By Ralph Cwik
Citizen Journalist

As most people ease into retirement, they look for the time to relax and do what they have been dreaming about doing most of their careers. This could be traveling or starting a new career. Others like to do nothing but enjoy the outdoors.

Betty Caruso

Or some take up hobbies, win awards and then teach others their new skills. That’s what Betty Caruso has done.

Betty and husband John Caruso, originally from the Pittsburgh area, moved to Cary in 1976 from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., because of John’s job at IBM. During that time, they raised seven children, and Betty took up quilting. I got the pleasure to know them about four years ago when they moved to Garner and became my neighbors.

Betty’s mother and grandmother were both quilters before her and taught her this skill. While raising seven children, Betty still found time to make quilts for her children and later for her four grandchildren.

She also took up a part-time job at Etc. Crafts in Cary. She sells materials and puts on quilting classes for all ages. The owner, Jean Petersen, has been an encouraging influence for the past 15 years.

Betty belongs to the Capital Quilters Guild in Raleigh and the Pine Tree Quilters in Cary. These groups do many charity quilts for babies and the elderly in nursing homes. Betty says that part of her quilting hobby is the most gratifying.

“There is always a need to spread a little cheer in this world, and quilts can do it,” she said.

Both quilter groups produce quilts for the military by holding a silent auction for their goods each year, with half of the proceeds going to Military Missions in Action.

The Capital Quilters Guild will hold its second annual silent auction Oct. 3. It is part of the Heritage Day event at the Wake County Office Park on Carya Drive in Raleigh. This group helps veterans who have sustained permanent injuries and need renovations to their houses to accommodate them or other items required to help them lead a normal life.

Betty has entered her quilts into the state fair and has won many ribbons, the most recent being a blue ribbon in 2007. She recently participated in the N.C. Quilt Symposium at Peace College, sponsored by the Capital Quilters Guild. This time she was skilled enough to win second place.

Betty has displayed her quilts at many functions in the past to encourage new people to learn this hobby. Garner residents will be fortunate enough to see some of her work Saturday, Aug. 22 at Southeast Regional Library.

Retirement doesn’t have to be about sitting around and looking out the widow. Betty’s story is just another example of taking something that you thoroughly enjoy, passing the skill along for others to enjoy and helping the less fortunate at the same time.

If you are interested in learning how to quilt, you can see Betty’s work in action at Etc. Crafts, wait until she appears at Southeast Regional Library later in August or e-mail me.

Related articles:

• Ralph’s retirement ramblings: A yankee’s newfound patriotism
• Ralph’s retirement ramblings: Applying for Social Security benefits
• Ralph’s retirement ramblings: A retiree’s year in review

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